410 APPENDIX. NOTES. 



rainbow to the. observer appears in the cloud, though really 

 produced by the reflection and refraction of the sun's rays 

 by the rain falling from it, which indeed may be considered 

 as a part of it, for viewed from a distance it often wears 

 the appearance of wool or hair combed out, descending to- 

 wards the earth. 1 This is the point in which the union of 

 the light with the water is most conspicuous ; in its lowest 

 sense it is a symbol of God's covenant not to destroy the 

 earth again by a flood of water : and as the throne of the 

 Deity is also represented as encircled by a rainbow, 2 in its 

 highest sense it is a symbol of the Gospel covenant, and of 

 the incarnation of the Logos, 3 that light which lighteth 

 every man that cometh into the world ; which by taking a 

 human body was rendered visible to the human race, and 

 reflected the glories of the Godhead. All this was indi- 

 cated and foreshewn when God used the clouds as instru- 

 ments of communicating with his people, and went before 

 them in a cloudy pillar. 4 



NOTE 26, vol. i. p. 342. By the casts which they every 

 where throw up. It has generally been supposed that worm- 

 casts, as they are called, are cast out of their burrows by the 

 worms, or are perhaps their ejected excrements; but the 

 following fact, communicated to me by my kind friend and 

 relative, I. R. Trimmer, Esq. of Brentford, which I have 

 since had an opportunity of observing myself, seems to 

 throw doubt upon the fact. He observed that, after a wet 



1 This appearance in the figure of Jupiter pluvius (Montfauc. 

 Antiq. i. t. ix. f. 13) is evidently a personification of a nimbus. 



2 Ezek. i. 28. Revel, iv. 3. Comp. x. 1. 



3 See Vitring in Apocalyps. 176, 423. Maurice Indian An- 

 tiq. iv. 403. 



4 See Introd. Ixxxvii. Exod. xiii. 21. 



